Free Simeon's Bride by Alison G. Taylor Page B

asked, and regretted the words as soon as they were spoken.
    McKenna nodded. ‘I wondered if you’d do me a favour?’
    ‘Of course.’
    ‘I’ve rented a house on Caellepa,’ McKenna said. ‘I could do with some help moving in. How are you fixed for Saturday?’
    ‘Fine. No problem,’ Jack said. ‘Emma and the twins are off to this big wedding, and Em’ll twist my arm to go with them if I don’t have a good excuse.’
    ‘Denise is going,’ McKenna said, his eyes opaque behind the spectacles. ‘It’s the daughter of the revered chairman of our police authority. Councillor Williams, CBE.’
    ‘I know. Big chapel do, all the trimmings.’ Jack grimaced. ‘Not my idea of a fun day out….’ He looked up. ‘Williams hasn’t got a CBE, has he?’
    ‘Yes he has.’ McKenna smiled. ‘Chairman of Bloody Everything! You should go and shake the man’s hand, get matey with him. Tell him how beautiful his daughter is, even though she’s like the side of a house. Could do your career no end of good.’
     
    Jack laughed. ‘Brought her down to earth, did it? With an almighty crash, I hope!’
    ‘You’re horrible!’ Emma had tears in her eyes again. ‘Denise was only trying to protect herself. Then the solicitor said she probably wouldn’t get a penny maintenance and she’d have to sell the house. It’s not fair,’ Emma railed. ‘It’s not right! He’s walking out. Not her.’
    ‘What d’you expect him to do?’ Jack demanded. ‘Stay with the miserable bitch, or spend the rest of his life letting her bleed him dry? Some choice, I don’t think.’
    ‘What choice has he given her?’ Emma snapped. ‘And don’t call Denise a miserable bitch! She’s my friend.’
    ‘She is a miserable bitch, Emma,’ Jack said. ‘And a spoilt one, as well.’
    ‘I suppose you’re sticking by him now, aren’t you?’ Emma almost spat at him. ‘I suppose he’s been slagging her off all day.’
    ‘He’s got more about him,’ Jack snapped. ‘She’s doing enough slagging off for both of them by the sounds of it!’
    ‘What d’you expect?’ Emma shouted. ‘He’s pulled the rug right out from under her. She’ll have nowhere to live. How can she possibly afford to buy another house?’
    ‘Then she’ll have to rent a house like he’s doing‚’ Jack said grimly. ‘And get off her backside and find a job. My goodness!’ he exclaimed. ‘That’d be a miracle, wouldn’t it? Our Denise getting her ladylike hands dirty.’
    Emma stared at him. ‘He’s moving already? Where’s he going?’
    ‘I’m not telling you, Emma. It’s not your business. He’ll tell Denise if and when he wants to.’
    ‘I never thought the day would come when you’d treat me like this. Never!’ The tears spilled over, and she scrubbed at her face with the cuff of her cardigan.
    ‘Don’t cry, love.’ Jack reached out, and she backed away.
    ‘Don’t you touch me!’ Emma shouted. ‘Leave me alone! And don’t you dare come crawling to me in bed! You can sleep in the shed for all I care!’

Chapter 9
    ‘What is it, Dewi?’ McKenna, morning sunshine highlighting the shadows painted by misery’s palette about his eyes, smiled vaguely at the young detective standing rather uncomfortably at the office door.
    ‘I wouldn’t bother you, sir, only Mr Turtle’s like a bear with a sore head this morning, snapping at anything moving, so I thought you’d better see these.’ He placed a pile of flimsy paper on the desk. ‘They’re faxes, sir. Come in overnight on the missing women.’
    ‘Anything useful?’
    ‘No, sir. Not a thing,’ Dewi said. ‘I suppose you can always look at it the other way, and say we know who the woman isn’t. Narrowed it down a lot’
    ‘You should be an alchemist, Dewi. Turn negative into positive,’ McKenna said. ‘How many are we left with?’
    ‘Forty-one. The Irish police don’t reckon there’s anyone missing who’d fit the description. Seems not half so many women go missing in